1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to new and improved systems and methods for providing calculations for determining blocking probability for alternate call routing in a telecommunications system.
2. Description of Related Art
Today's telecommunications systems have become large and easily reach most places in the world. Almost every home in the United States has its own telephone line, which is connected to a local switch in the nearest town or county, from there to a main switch in the nearest city, and from there to any other city in any other country in the world. These switches, or exchanges, as they are sometimes called, are interconnected through wires or lines, known as trunks. In this way, a person is able to dial another party in another country just was easily as if they were dialing someone on the same street.
For large and complicated networks to work properly, mathematics and computer simulation are used to understand and simulate the network. The aim is to design and control large networks to provide reliable communications systems and to use the network resources efficiently. The reliable and efficient operation of networks is of vital commercial importance to both users and telecommunications companies. Even modest percentage improvements in network efficiency can correspond to increases in quality for users and large revenue gains for telecommunications companies.
A large network may be affected by many factors, which are often hard to predict. There typically are busy and quiet periods throughout the day, sometimes expected and sometimes unexpected. For example, if a television program has a phone-in vote, there can be a sudden overload at one point or increment of time on the network. If a transmission line is lost due to a sudden or unexpected failure, the network can become overloaded if an adequate alternate call routing scheme was not in place.
Mathematicians have developed ways of calculating call routing schemes to route calls that can cope with these unpredictable events. These alternate call routing schemes typically operate by searching for spare capacity in a deterministic way in the network so as to route calls away from parts of the network that overloaded or temporarily off-line and into parts that can better handle the additional capacity or overflow.
Call blocking for call routing schemes is a key performance indicator (KPI) for the core of a telecommunications network. Unfortunately, the use of alternate routing schemes, complex IMT meshes and the inability to cause redirection due to distant trunk congestion makes the calculation of this key performance indicator extremely difficult. The purpose of this invention is to provide a new and useful method that uses probability theory to accurately estimate the probability of call blocking in a network with alternate routing capability.